Everyone has their favorite exercises for specific muscle groups, and there are as many exercise routines as there are weightlifters and bodybuilders. When you're working on strengthening your arms, you'll get all sorts of advice on which exercises are the best for building muscle mass and strength. When someone recommends you include the French curl in your lifting routine, find out which muscle it works and how it will benefit you.

French Curl Defined

Matt Siaperas, a personal trainer for more than 25 years, routinely recommends that clients use the French curl to work their triceps. The exercise is actually known by many different names -- barbell triceps extension, overhead triceps extension, skull crushers -- but they are all basically the same exercise.

Executing a French Curl

The French curl can be performed either standing or seated on a seat that features support for your back. Seated or standing, grasp a barbell with a narrow overhand grip and lift it over your head. Bending your elbows, lower your forearms and the barbell behind your head. Keep your upper arms straight with your elbows stationary over your head. Then press upward, extending your forearms back up to the starting overhead position.

Targeting the Triceps

The French curl targets the triceps located on the backs of your arms. The triceps are key muscles in performing extension exercises, such as pushing and pressing. In his book "Optimal Muscle Training," Ken Kinakin explains the importance of building and maintaining triceps strength because weakened triceps will decrease the range of motion of elbow flexion. This results in difficulty with other press exercises such as military and bench presses. Kinakin also states that weakening of the triceps affects the biceps because of the interaction of the two muscles.

Additional Triceps Exercises

French curls are just one beneficial triceps exercise to incorporate into your workout routine. The exercise website ShapeFit.com lists an entire page of triceps exercises including bench dips, decline dumbell extensions, pushups, dumbell kickbacks and rope and V bar pushdowns. Any of these will work effectively along with or alternated with the French press to build strength in your triceps.